From the Board Chair

by Vaughan Hunt | Jul 1, 2016 | Board Chair's Blog

Tour de France Excitement-This Saturday!

To watch the best of the best, team versus team and listen to the brilliant commentary from Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen for the 103rd Tour de France from this Saturday the 2nd July to the 24th of July over 21 stages while taking in the beautiful French countryside,villages and mad supporters is going to be exciting.Millions of passionate cycling fans across the world will tune any way they can and experience the ultimate racing challenge.
Facts: The Tour de France is a race overs approximately 3500km.
The worldwide television audience is approximately 3.5billion people.
2000 journalists attend the tour.
1200 Hotel rooms are reserved each night for teams, staff,press and personnel.
12 Million spectators watch the tour along the route.
Spectators average 6 hours at the road side at a time.
Number of teams varies between 20 and 22 with 9 riders in each team.
Jerseys; Yellow-Overall leader.
Red Polka Dot- Best accumulated time in the mountains.
Green- The most sprinting points.
White- Best rider aged 25 and younger.

Who is your pick to win?

Froome,Quintana,Contador,Aru,van Garderen,Porte or an outsider?
Email Bike Manawatu secretary Christine Christie at secretary@bikemanawatu.co.nz with your first three pick overall. 1,2,3 and be into to win a spot prize.

Last weeks BM Happy Hour

Thank you and well done to those who braved the cold to join 40 odd fellow club members in the warmth of the cosy Hotel Coachman for some quality time together sharing the love of cycling banter.The last Friday of every month come an join us.

Bike Manawatu Cyclists World Class

by Vaughan Hunt | Jun 23, 2016 | Board Chair's Blog

Bike Manawatu want to acknowledge all club members (schools and masters)who train hard for races utilising the BM Club events,coaches volunteers, parents,supporters,licences and our beautiful countryside preparing to race whenever, wherever.

We would like to mention four such local BM and NZ junior stars currently training or racing for NZ internationally to watch out for.
The excitement of Campbell Stewart, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman representing NZ at the under 19 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle Switzerland July is building.Campbell Stewart is the current world junior Scratch and Omnium champion and Michaela Drummond the current world teams pursuit gold medal holder setting a new world record last year in Europe.

Emily Shearman, new to the NZ team will compete in the woman’s teams pursuit and all three have been focused on training and racing with the NZ team at the Avanti Velodrome in Cambridge and are likely to be chosen to race in other events at the Junior World Champs.

As I write this they are all currently racing at the International Track Series in Melbourne against Aussies top junior riders to help their preparation for the Junior World Champs.Campbell and Michaela had won both races on the first day of four hard days racing against the Aussies in Melbourne.

Also in Melbourne is BM and NZ development team local rider Carne Groube known throughout NZ as a gutsy competitor who is also destined for good things. The NZ development team are there currently racing in various different events.

Stories like this make us Manawatu people proud.